Are you intentional about how you start?

It’s easy to let the day get away from you.  Even with the best of intentions & focus, too often the day’s fire drills and distractions take over and derail your best-laid plans.

Having a plan for the day helps.  Being specific about your priorities and focus areas can keep you on track.

But I’ve found through the years that I have the most control over how I start the day, literally what I do intentionally at home in the morning and in my first moments at the office.

What I do in that time helps set up the tone, energy and productivity I bring with me throughout the rest of the day as well.

For example:

• What time do you get up? Does that give you adequate time to prepare for the day, eat breakfast, work out, or otherwise get yourself mentally and physically ready for the day ahead?
• Do you dive right into email, or get something more important done from your to-do list (something you determined as most important the night before)?
• Are you scurrying around and feeling behind from the get-go, or do you have enough time, with a dedicated routine, to start the day the way YOU want to?

This goes for how you start the day at work too.

• How did you leave your work space the night before? Is it already a mess, or is it set to help you be successful today?
• Do you dive right into responding to email, or do you focus on something more important?
• Are you already late for your first meeting, or do you give yourself adequate time to ease into the work day feeling prepared and ready to stay focused on what’s most important?

The day can always get away from you.  But more intentional starts can help you keep it from getting there.